I'd really like to hear some more examples of Buckshot being worked into stages well. It always seems like when we try to work in buckshot it seems "forced" for no good reason. If you designate buckshot targets, it almost always seems like it is done just to add the complexity of load management to a stage. Most often if given the choice whatever target you are engaging with buck could be more effectively engaged with some other weapon/load.
Buck on paper is lots of fun, but a real pain in the ass. you really need to have plywood backers for each target or you end up playing the "i'm sure at least 2 of my pellets went through that wad hole" game. this adds considerable cost and effort during the match, not to mention how much fun these targets are to paste.
Buck on heavy, hard to activate steel is the route we usually go when we incorporate it into a stage, but that forces you to designate those targets as "buckshot targets" which is more prescriptive than we usually like to be.
Some of the problems we have found with "optional" buckshot are as follows:
- Can't use mild steel shotgun plates that you could use if birdshot only
- don't care what anyone says, I've seen MGM spinners that have been shot with heavy 4 and 6 load at 10-15 yards for a whole match...they end up a mangled mess. 00 buck would be even worse
- increases probability of accidentally sending buck at flying clay target or somewhere else you don't want it
- In my experience flight control is hard on steel targets. 9 pellet 00 is roughly 485gn (or 1.1oz) of lead that is designed to stay together and impact in close to the same spot close to simultaneously. I don't necessarily want that shot at most of my steel targets anymore than i'd like those targets shot with slugs or "cut shells"
-need to treat all targets that might be engaged with a shotgun as if they were going to be shot with buck just in case someone accidentally does so. this limits your flexibility in stage design since you must now have a positive backstop for shotgun targets and not just figure the distance of shotfall for a 7.5
- almost impossible to do "optional" buckshot on paper targets
-when given a choice, most shooters seem to opt to shoot something other than buckshot if at all possible.
To incorporate some shotgun load management and give shooters the opportunity to shoot more shotgun (a good thing) we've started allowing any paper target to be engaged with slugs (1 shot to neutralize) and steel targets over 50yds to be engaged with slugs. Paper targets already are oriented with a sufficient backstop for rifle and pistol, and slugs don't tear up paper as bad as buck.
We now give the option to shoot any paper target with Rifle, Pistol, or slugs; any steel target with pistol or birdshot; steel over 50 yards with rifle, pistol, or slug; and mild steel (painted orange) or clays with birdshot only.
An all shotgun match is a different story, but given these options I'm currently not seeing much reason to try to force the use of buckshot at a 3-gun match just for the sake of shooting buckshot.